subject: Your Domain Name is a Crucial Part of Your Branding [print this page] One of the key decisions that you need to make whenever you're setting up a website is your domain name. Many people don't put enough effort into this, really thinking that it is just a matter of choosing a name that is somewhat related to their business or business name. The fact of the matter is, however, the domain name that you choose can have a large effect on the branding that is done on the Internet. That is why it takes at least a little bit of thought on your part in order to choose an effective domain name that can really assist you in this regard.
One of the first things that you need to choose is the extension of your domain name. The reason why you need to make this decision first, is because you were going to have a much more difficult time finding a .com domain than one which is. net or.org. It is worth the effort to look for the .com extension, however, because it is universally recognized and when most people hear the domain name, they automatically think of this extension in their mind. It would be worth the extra effort to continue to look for one of these extensions that can be used for branding, even if your first choice is not available.
Another thing that you need to consider is that many times, the branding which can be done is on a domain name that does not necessarily match exactly what you are trying to do. Look at websites, such as Yahoo.com or Google.com. These names have absolutely nothing to do with the fact that they are search engines, yet they are universally recognized as such. Other domain names, such as Microsoft.com are not only branded according to what they offer, but they are branded according to the name of the business.
Keep in mind, the domain name that you choose today is going to be with you for quite some time. The Internet is certainly not going anywhere, and you need to be set up properly at the very start, as making a switch can be rather messy whatever you're talking about domain names. Once you have the right name, however, you can go about beginning to brand it in any number of different ways. The more that you get the name out there, the more of an opportunity for pulling people into your website and getting more business.
Your Domain Name is a Crucial Part of Your Branding
